A short guide of modern marketing and promotional techniques for new books
Publishing your book is just the start of your life as an author. Now it is time to build your audience and spread positive word of mouth as far as you can. You can promote your book as much or as little as you see fit, but Cloverly Christian will help jumpstart your book’s marketing.
Promoting your book in the 21st century requires a combination of online and in-person marketing. Here at Cloverly Christian, we will help you throughout the process to reach as wide of an audience as possible. Here is a brief rundown of what to consider when doing promotion for your book.
Cloverly Christian’s Launchpad
While most of the heavy lifting of promotional work will be up to you, Cloverly Christian is here to start the process off on the right foot. Each of our published works gets an individual web page, as shown in our catalog of recent releases. This will be the easiest place to direct readers to purchase your book online. There are direct links to purchase the physical or digital book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.
We also write and distribute a press release for each and every book we publish. These releases are sent to a global distribution service. Our team of professional press release writers will draft a personalized release for your book, which will only be published with your approval. Rest assured, no artificial intelligence will be used in any of this marketing material.
Your work will also be promoted on Cloverly’s social media pages. This includes content posted on Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Often, that will include an announcement post and a video teaser dedicated to your new release. This is all a baseline to set you up for success for your own promotion.
Building Your Support System
It is not easy to market your book. That is why it is of the utmost importance to have a support system behind you from the beginning. Recruit friends and family to be your “launch team” and promote your book alongside you. These should be people you trust who will actively help you every step of the way. It especially helps if they have expertise or experience in a specific area that you do not.
Churches and Other Groups
As a published author with Cloverly Christian, we know how important your faith is to you. Therefore, sharing your book with your church will be one of the most effective ways to target readers. This applies to any other religious, community, sports, or affinity groups you may belong to. Sharing your book with these groups will be some of the most successful promotions you can do. This, however, means it is important to make sure your finished book is something you are proud of.
If your book would be of interest to any other groups, feel free to reach out for an invitation. People are always looking for new avenues to explore their interests, especially when it comes to their faith. Be proactive and get your book in front of as many potential readers as possible.
Using Social Media to Your Advantage
Today, authors use social media to advertise their book more than ever before. And it’s not just books; social media drives sales for all industries. Whether you are a first-time author or a seasoned pro, understanding the social media landscape is crucial for success.
To fully grasp social media’s potential, you have to know how each individual platform works. Once you understand the platform, you will be able to tailor your content to the audience you are targeting. No matter what, you have to sell your book as engagingly as possible. Make sure your content is accurate, compelling, and capable of mass appeal. Your target audience will not be able to buy your book if they don’t know about it.
You can use whatever social media you are most comfortable with, but feel free to try out new ones. Some of the most popular platforms today are TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X. If you already have an account or use these, you are off to a strong start. If you don’t, make a new account and get a feel for it before promoting your book. You can ask family and friends for help or find an online resource to show you the ropes.
Once you have a grasp on a given platform, you can start to target and grow your audience. Generally, people like to be recognized, so engage with your followers as much as possible. That will give them another incentive to buy your book.
Hosting a Launch Party
What better way to celebrate your new book than by throwing a party? You spent so much of your time on perfecting your book, you should be proud to share it. Your launch party can be as big or small as you want, but it could be a valuable promotional opportunity. You can just invite your friends and family, extend it to your larger church or community organization, or make it open to the public.
When choosing a venue, keep your expected audience in mind. You can choose what your party will be, but don’t forget to bring books to sign and sell. Giving people an opportunity to buy your book will be a golden opportunity to make sales. As part of your contract with Cloverly Christian, you receive 10 complimentary print copies of your book. You can buy additional copies at a wholesale price from our printer — we can reach out on your behalf. If you run out of books or don’t bring any to your event, you can share the link to your Cloverly web page where people can purchase it from an online retailer.
Getting Your Book Reviewed
When you are buying a book, you usually want to know what other people think of it. For a new author, getting your book in front of readers can be a daunting task. But, this is crucially important to build your audience. The first thing you want to do is ask friends and family to read your book then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, etc. This also applies to anyone you may meet at a launch party or book signing.
To gather additional ratings and reviews, there are online services that legitimately help facilitate the process. Some websites — NetGalley, BookSirens, Booksprout, HiddenGems, BookFunnel, and StoryOrigin, among others — allow you to submit your finished manuscript to real people who read and review all types of books. For more specific information, check each website individually and assess their prices and packages. These sources do not make up reviews; real people read your book.
